3DI Solder Cup

ABSTRACT

A substrate or semiconductor device, semiconductor device assembly, and method of forming a semiconductor device assembly that includes a barrier on a solder cup. The semiconductor device assembly includes a substrate disposed over another substrate. At least one solder cup extends from one substrate towards an under bump metal (UBM) on the other substrate. The barrier on the exterior of the solder cup may be a standoff to control a bond line between the substrates. The barrier may reduce solder bridging during the formation of a semiconductor device assembly. The barrier may help to align the solder cup with a UBM when forming a semiconductor device assembly and may reduce misalignment due to lateral movement of substrates and/or semiconductor devices.

FIELD

The embodiments described herein relate to semiconductor deviceassemblies having interconnect structures and methods of providing suchsemiconductor device assemblies. The present disclosure relates to abarrier surrounding pillar interconnects. The present disclosure alsorelates to the barrier providing a standoff to support a semiconductordevice, such as a die, on a substrate.

BACKGROUND

Semiconductor device assemblies, including, but not limited to, memorychips, microprocessor chips, and imager chips, typically include asemiconductor device, such as a die, mounted on a substrate, thesemiconductor device assembly may be encased in a plastic protectivecovering or metal heat spreader. The semiconductor device assembly mayinclude various functional features, such as memory cells, processorcircuits, and imager devices, and may include bond pads that areelectrically connected to the functional features of the semiconductordevice assembly. The semiconductor device assembly may includesemiconductor devices stacked upon and electrically connected to oneanother by individual interconnects between adjacent devices within apackage.

Various methods and/or techniques may be employed to electricallyinterconnect adjacent semiconductor devices and/or substrates in asemiconductor device assembly. For example, individual interconnects maybe formed by reflowing tin-silver (SnAg), also known as solder, toconnect a pillar to a pad. Individual interconnects may be formed byreflowing various materials such as, but not limited to,tin-silver-copper solder, indium, or the like, as would be recognized byone of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of this disclosure.Typically, the pillar may extend down from a bottom surface of asemiconductor device towards a pad formed on the top surface of anothersemiconductor device or substrate. A pillar may have a base portioncomprised of copper (Cu) and an end portion comprised of solder. Thepillar may include a layer of nickel (Ni) positioned between the copperportion and the solder portion, which acts as a barrier to preventcopper mixing and consumption by the solder during reflow andsubsequently prevents electromigration of the solder into the copperduring the solder reflow process. However, in some instances solderflows out and around the nickel barrier to the copper portion of thepillar, often referred to as solder slumping, which may lead to copperconsumption, intermetallics (IMC) issues, and possible shorting betweenpillars.

Various methods and/or techniques may be employed to support adjacentdies and/or substrates in a semiconductor device assembly. For example,thermal compression bonding (TCB) with non-conductive film (NCF), whichmay include a wafer level underfill (WLUF), is a technique that may beused to connect a semiconductor device to a substrate to create asemiconductor device assembly. As an example, underfill material, whichmay be a laminated sheet of film, is deposited onto a wafer comprisingmultiple dies. The wafer may be diced to form individual dies that arethen bonded to a substrate. One potential disadvantage of WLUF is thepresence of voids due to the topography (e.g., copper traces, soldermask) of the substrate. For example, the topography may inhibit WLUFfrom flowing outside the die area.

When forming a semiconductor device assembly it may be desired to have aspecific bond line between the semiconductor device and the substrate oradjacent semiconductor device. During the bonding process, the forceapplied during the bonding process may need to be varied in an attemptto obtain the specified bond line. For example, when the NCF material isat a high viscosity state a higher force may need to be applied toobtain the desired bond line, but as the NCF is heated during the TCBprocess the viscosity of the NCF may decrease so that less force isrequired to obtain the desired bond line. The change in viscosity duringthe TCB process, which in turn causes a variation in the applied forcemay make it difficult to consistently obtain the desired bond line forthe duration of the process.

A higher force applied during the TCB process may help to eliminate theWLUF voids, but the higher applied force may cause solder tounintentionally bridge across traces and/or interconnects of thesemiconductor device assembly as would be appreciated by one of ordinaryskill in the art. Alternatively, the solder thickness may be reduced tohelp eliminate bridging, but a reduced solder thickness may lead tometastable IMC issues as would be recognized by one of ordinary skill inthe art.

Additional drawbacks and disadvantages may exist.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-section view of an embodiment of a secondsemiconductor device with a solder cup having an exterior barrierpositioned above a first semiconductor device with an under bump metal(UBM) aligned with the solder cup.

FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-section view of the first and secondsemiconductor devices of FIG. 1 with the exterior barrier of the soldercup of the second semiconductor device enclosing the UBM of the firstsemiconductor device.

FIG. 3A is a schematic cross-section view of an embodiment of asemiconductor device assembly formed of a first semiconductor devicehaving a UBM that is enclosed by a solder cup of a second semiconductordevice.

FIG. 3B is a schematic cross-section view of an embodiment of asemiconductor device assembly formed of a first semiconductor devicehaving a UBM that is enclosed by a solder cup of a second semiconductordevice.

FIG. 3C is a schematic cross-section view of an embodiment of asemiconductor device assembly formed of a first semiconductor devicehaving a UBM that is enclosed by a solder cup of a second semiconductordevice.

FIG. 4A is schematic cross-section view of an embodiment of asemiconductor device having a UBM.

FIG. 4B is schematic cross-section view of an embodiment of asemiconductor device having a UBM.

FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-section view of an embodiment of asemiconductor device assembly.

FIGS. 6A-6E are schematic cross-section views of an embodimentillustrating forming a solder cup on a semiconductor device.

FIGS. 7A-7E are schematic cross-section views of an embodimentillustrating forming a UBM on a semiconductor device.

FIG. 8 is a flow chart depicting one embodiment of a method of making asemiconductor device assembly.

FIG. 9 is a schematic cross-section view of an embodiment of asemiconductor device having a solder cup and a UBM.

While the disclosure is susceptible to various modifications andalternative forms, specific embodiments have been shown by way ofexample in the drawings and will be described in detail herein. However,it should be understood that the disclosure is not intended to belimited to the particular forms disclosed. Rather, the intention is tocover all modifications, equivalents and alternatives falling within thescope of the disclosure as defined by the appended claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In this disclosure, numerous specific details are discussed to provide athorough and enabling description for embodiments of the presentdisclosure. One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that thedisclosure can be practiced without one or more of the specific details.Well-known structures and/or operations often associated withsemiconductor devices may not be shown and/or may not be described indetail to avoid obscuring other aspects of the disclosure. In general,it should be understood that various other devices, systems, and/ormethods in addition to those specific embodiments disclosed herein maybe within the scope of the present disclosure.

The term “semiconductor device assembly” can refer to an assembly of oneor more semiconductor devices, semiconductor device packages, and/orsubstrates, which may include interposers, supports, and/or othersuitable substrates. The semiconductor device assembly may bemanufactured as, but not limited to, discrete package form, strip ormatrix form, and/or wafer panel form. The term “semiconductor device”generally refers to a solid-state device that includes semiconductormaterial. A semiconductor device can include, for example, asemiconductor substrate, wafer, panel, or a single die from a wafer orsubstrate. A semiconductor device may refer herein to a semiconductordie, but semiconductor devices are not limited to semiconductor dies.

The term “semiconductor device package” can refer to an arrangement withone or more semiconductor devices incorporated into a common package. Asemiconductor package can include a housing or casing that partially orcompletely encapsulates at least one semiconductor device. Asemiconductor package can also include a substrate that carries one ormore semiconductor devices. The substrate may be attached to orotherwise incorporate within the housing or casing.

As used herein, the terms “vertical,” “lateral,” “upper,” and “lower”can refer to relative directions or positions of features in thesemiconductor devices and/or semiconductor device assemblies shown inthe Figures. For example, “upper” or “uppermost” can refer to a featurepositioned closer to the top of a page than another feature. Theseterms, however, should be construed broadly to include semiconductordevices and/or semiconductor device assemblies having otherorientations, such as inverted or inclined orientations wheretop/bottom, over/under, above/below, up/down, and left/right can beinterchanged depending on the orientation.

Various embodiments of this disclosure are directed to semiconductordevices, semiconductor device assemblies, semiconductor packages, andmethods of making and/or operating semiconductor devices. In oneembodiment of the disclosure a semiconductor device assembly comprises afirst substrate and a second substrate disposed over the firstsubstrate, the second substrate has at least one solder cup having anexterior barrier that extends towards the first substrate.

The barrier on the exterior of the solder may help to prevent bridgingbetween two adjacent interconnects and/or prevent bridging with anotherelement as the substrates are bonded together to from a semiconductordevice assembly. The barrier may act as a standoff, which may help toachieve a desired bond line between two substrates and/or semiconductordevices when forming a semiconductor device assembly. The solder cup andbarrier may help with the alignment of a UBM on an adjacent substrate orsemiconductor device and may also help to prevent misalignment with theUBM due to movement of the one substrate or semiconductor device withthe respect to another substrate or semiconductor device.

FIG. 1 shows a schematic of a first semiconductor device 140, which maybe a substrate, comprising a first or top surface 141 and a second orbottom surface 142 opposite the first surface 141. The firstsemiconductor device 140 includes an under bump metal (UBM) 150 formedon the first surface 141. The UBM 150 may be electrically connected to avia 143, which extends through the first semiconductor device 140. Thesidewalls 151 of the UBM 150 on the first surface 141 of the firstsemiconductor device 140 may be angled or tapered, as shown in FIG. 1.Angled sidewalls 151 of the UBM 150 may increase the wetting forcebetween the solder of an adjoining pillar in comparison to a UBM 150having straight (i.e. perpendicular to the first surface 141) ornon-tapered sidewalls 151, as discussed herein.

FIG. 1 shows a second semiconductor device 110, which may be asubstrate, positioned adjacent to the first semiconductor device 140.The second semiconductor device comprising a first or top surface 111and a second or bottom surface 112 opposite the first surface 111. Thesecond device 110 includes a solder cup 120 formed on the second surface112. The solder cup 120 comprises a pillar comprised of a copper portion121, a nickel portion 122, and a solder portion 123 within an externalbarrier 124. Alternatively, the pillar may be comprised of solder 123without a copper portion 121 or a nickel portion 122. The solder cup 120is electrically connected to at least one interconnect 113 within thesecond semiconductor device 110. The barrier 124 may comprise a taper orfunnel shape having a larger diameter at an open end 125 that ispositioned away from the second surface 112 of the second semiconductordevice 110 than the portion of the barrier 124 that is positionedadjacent to the second semiconductor device 110.

FIG. 2 shows a semiconductor device assembly 100 formed of the firstsemiconductor device 140 connected to the second semiconductor device110 via an interconnect formed between the solder cup 120 of the secondsemiconductor device 110 and the UBM 150 of the second semiconductordevice 140. A TCB process may be applied so that molten solder in thesolder cup 120 encases the UBM 150 to form an interconnection betweenthe first semiconductor device 140 and the second semiconductor device110. Wetting forces during the solder bonding process, which areillustrated in FIG. 1 as arrows 130, 131, and 132, help to pull thesolder cup 120 towards the UBM 150. Angled sidewalls 151 of the UBM 150may create a wetting force 132 that helps lock the solder cup 120 andthe UBM 150 together. Likewise, wetting force 130 may act on thefunnel-shaped walls of the barrier 124 and wetting force 131 may act onthe solder 123 within the barrier 124 to help pull the solder cup 120,including the barrier 124, towards the first surface 141 of the firstsemiconductor device 140.

Conventional semiconductor devices are often electrically interconnectedtogether by connecting a solder portion at an end of a pillar to acopper plated pad. The wetting forces during this bonding process onlyact at the interface between the end of the pillar and the pad. Incontrast, the solder cup 120 encases or envelops the UBM 150 with solder123. Thus, the wetting forces between the entire UBM 150 and the solder123 within the barrier 124 are larger and help to lock the twostructures together. The first surface 141 of the first semiconductordevice 140 may contain a plurality of UBMs 150 and the second surface112 of the second semiconductor device 110 may contain a plurality ofsolder cups 120 as would be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in theart having the benefit of this disclosure. The size, shape, number,and/or configuration of the first semiconductor device 110, solder cup120, barrier 124, components within the barrier 124, secondsemiconductor device 140, and/or UBM 150 are for illustrative purposesonly and may be varied as would be appreciated by one of ordinary skillin the art having the benefit of this disclosure. For example, thesecond semiconductor device 110 may include a plurality of solder cups120 having barriers 124 that extend from the bottom surface 112 witheach solder cup 120 aligned with a corresponding UBM 150 on the firstsurface 141 of the second semiconductor device 140. The UBM 150 maycomprises various structures on a surface of a semiconductor device aswould be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art having thebenefit of this disclosure. For example, a UBM 150 may be, but is notlimited to, a through silicon via pad, a bonding pad, a test or probepad located on a surface of a semiconductor device, or the like.

The barrier 124 on the exterior of the solder cup 120 may act as astandoff during a TCB process, which may help to achieve a desired bondline between two semiconductor devices when forming a semiconductordevice assembly. The barrier 124 on the exterior of the solder cup 120may help with the alignment of the solder cup 120 with a UBM 150 on thetop surface of an adjacent semiconductor device. The barrier 124 on theexterior of the solder cup 120 may help to prevent misalignment betweena solder cup 120 and a UBM 150 on a top surface of an adjacentsemiconductor device due to movement of the semiconductor devices withrespect to each other. The barrier 124 on the exterior of the solder cup120 may prevent bridging between adjacent interconnects. The barrier 124on the exterior of the solder cup 120 may prevent the formation ofwhiskers on an interconnect between two adjacent semiconductor devices.

The end 125 of the barrier 124 will have a larger perimeter or diameterthan a corresponding UBM 150 so that the barrier 124 can encircle,enclosed, or envelope the UBM 150. The end 125 of the barrier 124enclosing the UBM 150 prevents molten solder 123 from flowing to anadjacent feature on the first surface 141 of the second semiconductordevice 140. The larger perimeter or diameter of the end 125 of thebarrier 124 enables the UBM 150 to be encased by molten solder 123during the bonding process. In some instances, the UBM 150 may becompletely encase by molten solder 123. The larger perimeter or diameterof the end 125 of the barrier 124 with respect to the UBM 150 may alsoenable better alignment between two adjacent semiconductor devices thanthe prior interconnection between pillars and pads as would beappreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit ofthis disclosure. For example, warpage of a semiconductor device maycause an inadequate interconnect between traditional pillar and padconnections. However, warpage of one of the semiconductor devices maynot be problematic between the interconnect between a solder cup 120 andUBM 150 because the barrier 124 of the solder cup 120 envelopes the UBM150 permitting the UBM 150 to be encased with solder 123 within thesolder cup 120.

The barrier 124 may be comprised of various materials that may be usedto reduce potential bridging, act as a standoff, prevent the formationof whiskers, aid in alignment of a pillar with a pad, and/or preventmisalignment due to movement of adjacent semiconductor devices withrespect to each other. For example, the barrier 124 may be comprised of,but not limited to, tantalum, tungsten, titanium nitride, and/orcombinations thereof. The barrier 124 may be formed on the exterior ofthe pillar 120 by various processes as would be appreciated by one ofordinary skill in the art having the benefit of this disclosure. Thethickness of the barrier 124 may vary depending on the application. Forexample, the thickness of the barrier may be, but is not limited to,1000 angstroms to 5000 angstroms. Various mechanisms and/or materialsmay be used to form the barrier 130 on the exterior pillar 120 dependingon the application as would be appreciated by one of ordinary skill inthe art having the benefit this disclosure. The UBM 150 may be comprisedof various materials that will form an interconnect with the solder 123in the solder cup 120. For example, the UBM 150 may be comprised of, butnot limited to, nickel, gold, and/or combinations thereof. As the UBM150 is encased in solder 123, one embodiment of the UBM 150 may notcomprise any copper.

A semiconductor device assembly 100 may be formed by providing at leastone support between a first semiconductor device 140 and a secondsemiconductor device 110, the support providing mechanical supportand/or thermal transfer between the first semiconductor device 140 andthe second semiconductor device 110. The at least one support maycomprise a solder cup that extends from a surface of a semiconductordevice to a surface of an adjacent semiconductor device. The at leastone support may comprise the solder cup 120 of the second semiconductordevice 110 and the UBM 150 of the first semiconductor device 140 formedtogether. As discussed herein, a TCB process may be applied so thatmolten solder in the solder cup 120 encases the UBM 150 to form amechanical support between the first semiconductor device 140 and thesecond semiconductor device 110. Wetting forces during the solderbonding process, which are illustrated in FIG. 1 as arrows 130, 131, and132, help to pull the solder cup 120 towards the UBM 150. Angledsidewalls 151 of the UBM 150 may create a wetting force 132 that helpslock the solder cup 120 and the UBM 150 together. Likewise, wettingforce 130 may act on the funnel-shaped walls of the barrier 124 andwetting force 131 may act on the solder 123 within the barrier 124 tohelp pull the solder cup 120, including the barrier 124, towards thefirst surface 141 of the first semiconductor device 140. A plurality ofsolder cups 120 and UBMs 150 may be used connect together the firstsemiconductor device 110 and the second semiconductor device 140 to forma semiconductor device assembly 100 as would be appreciated by one orordinary skill in the art having the benefit of this disclosure.

FIG. 3A is a schematic cross-section view of an embodiment of asemiconductor device assembly 200A formed of a first semiconductordevice 240A having a UBM 250A that is enclosed by a solder cup 220A of asecond semiconductor device 210A. The solder cup 220A extends from asecond or bottom surface 212A of the second semiconductor device 210Aand is electrically connected to an interconnect 213A within the secondsemiconductor device 210A. The second or bottom surface 212A of thesecond semiconductor device 210A is opposite a top of first surface211A. The solder cup 220A may contain copper 221A, nickel 222A, andsolder 223A. The materials within the solder cup 220A may be varied aswould be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art having thebenefit of this disclosure. The barrier 224A on the solder cup 220A maybe straight sidewalls as compared to the barrier 124 shown in FIGS. 1and 2. The end 225A of the barrier 224A engages the top surface 241A ofthe first semiconductor device 240A and may act as a standoff to controlthe bond line between the first semiconductor device 240A and the secondsemiconductor device 210A.

The UBM 250A on the first or top surface 241A of the first semiconductordevice 240A is electrically connected to a via 243A that extends fromthe bottom or second surface 242A of the first semiconductor device 240Ato the top or first surface 241A of the first semiconductor device 240A.The interconnect 213A of the second semiconductor device 210A and thevia 243A of the first semiconductor device 240A are shown forillustrative purposes and the shape, size, number, and/or location maybe varied as would be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art.

As the UBM 150A is enclosed by the solder cup 220A, the size and shapeof the UBM 150A can be varied. For example, the UBM 150A in FIG. 3A iswider than the UBM 250B in FIG. 3B. A larger difference between thediameter or perimeter of the open end of the barrier on the solder cupwith respect to the diameter or perimeter of the UBM may enable a UBN tobe more easily aligned with a solder cup even when one or bothsubstrates may warped to some extent.

FIG. 3B is a schematic cross-section view of an embodiment of asemiconductor device assembly 200B formed of a first semiconductordevice 240B having a UBM 250B that is enclosed by a solder cup 220B of asecond semiconductor device 210B. The solder cup 220B extends from asecond or bottom surface 212B of the second semiconductor device 210Band is electrically connected to an interconnect 213B within the secondsemiconductor device 210B. The second or bottom surface 212B of thesecond semiconductor device 210B is opposite a top of first surface211B. The solder cup 220B may contain copper 221B, nickel 222B, andsolder 223B. The materials within the solder cup 220B may be varied aswould be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art having thebenefit of this disclosure. The barrier 224B on the solder cup 220B maybe straight sidewalls. The end 225B of the barrier 224B engages the topsurface 241B of the first semiconductor device 240B and may act as astandoff to control the bond line between the first semiconductor device240B and the second semiconductor device 210B.

The UBM 250B on the first or top surface 241B of the first semiconductordevice 240B is electrically connected to a via 243B that extends fromthe bottom or second surface 242B of the first semiconductor device 240Bto the top or first surface 241B of the first semiconductor device 240B.The interconnect 213B of the second semiconductor device 210B and thevia 243B of the first semiconductor device 240B are shown forillustrative purposes and the shape, size, number, and/or location maybe varied as would be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art.

The use of a solder cup 220C and barrier 224C enables the height of aUBM 250C to be varied as shown in FIG. 3C. The height of a UBM 250C maynot affect the bond line between to substrates as the UBM 250C isenclosed within the barrier 225C, which acts as a standoff to bettercontrol the bond line between the substrates. As shown in FIG. 3C, thesolder cup 220C may be comprised entirely of solder 223C.

FIG. 3C is a schematic cross-section view of an embodiment of asemiconductor device assembly 200C formed of a first semiconductordevice 240C having a UBM 250C that is enclosed by a solder cup 220C of asecond semiconductor device 210C. The solder cup 220C extends from asecond or bottom surface 212C of the second semiconductor device 210Cand is electrically connected to an interconnect 213C within the secondsemiconductor device 210C. The second or bottom surface 212C of thesecond semiconductor device 210C is opposite a top of first surface211C. The solder cup 220C may contain solder 223C. The materials withinthe solder cup 220C may be varied as would be appreciated by one ofordinary skill in the art having the benefit of this disclosure. Thebarrier 224C on the solder cup 220C may be straight sidewalls. The end225C of the barrier 224C engages the top surface 241C of the firstsemiconductor device 240C and may act as a standoff to control the bondline between the first semiconductor device 240C and the secondsemiconductor device 210C.

The UBM 250C on the first or top surface 241C of the first semiconductordevice 240C is electrically connected to a via 243C that extends fromthe bottom or second surface 242C of the first semiconductor device 240Cto the top or first surface 241C of the first semiconductor device 240C.The interconnect 213C of the second semiconductor device 210C and thevia 243C of the first semiconductor device 240C are shown forillustrative purposes and the shape, size, number, and/or location maybe varied as would be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art.

FIG. 4A is schematic cross-section view of an embodiment of asemiconductor device or substrate 340A having a UBM 350A on a first ortop surface 341A. The substrate 340A includes a second surface 342Aopposite the first surface 341A. The UBM 350A may be connected to a via343A that extends through the substrate 340A from the first surface 341Ato the second surface 342A. The sidewalls 351A of the UBM 350A may beangled (i.e., not substantially perpendicular) with respect to the firstsurface 341A.

FIG. 4B is schematic cross-section view of an embodiment of asemiconductor device or substrate 340B having a UBM 350B on a first ortop surface 341B. The substrate 340B includes a second surface 342Bopposite the first surface 341B. The UBM 350A may be connected to a via343B that extends through the substrate 340B from the first surface 341Bto the second surface 342B. The sidewalls 351B of the UBM 350A may beangled substantially perpendicular with respect to the first surface341B. In one embodiment, the UBMs 350A, 350B on the first surfaces 341A,341B may formed from vias 343A, 343B that extend through the substrates340A, 340B. For example, material, except the via 343A, 343B, may beremoved from the first surfaces 341A, 341B until the via 343A, 343Bbecomes a UBM on the first surface 341A, 343B of the substrate 340A,340B. Various processes may be used to remove material from the surfaceof a substrate and form the via into a UBM as would be appreciated byone of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of this disclosure.

FIG. 5 shows a schematic cross-section view of an embodiment of asemiconductor device assembly 400. The semiconductor device assembly 400includes a plurality of first semiconductor devices 440A, 440B, 440Ceach having a plurality of UBMs 450A, 450B, 450C on a top or firstsurface and a plurality of second semiconductor devices 410A, 410B, 410Chaving a plurality of solder cups 420A, 420B, 420C on a bottom or secondsurface. The solder cups 420A, 420B, 420C and UBMs 450A, 450B, 450C forminterconnects between adjacent semiconductor devices. For example, aplurality of solder cups 420A of a second semiconductor device 410A forminterconnects with a plurality of UBMs 450B of a first semiconductordevice 440B. The semiconductor device assembly 400 includes NCF material470 between the plurality of semiconductor devices 410A, 440B, 410B,440C. The number, shape, size, and/or configuration of the firstsemiconductor devices 410A, 410B, 410C, second semiconductor devices440A, 440B, 440C, solder cups 420A, 420B, 420C, and/or UBMs 450A, 450B,450C are shown for illustrative purposes and may be varied depending onthe application as would be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in theart having the benefit of this disclosure.

FIGS. 6A-6E are schematic cross-section views that illustrate anembodiment of forming a solder cup 520 (best shown in FIG. 6E) on asemiconductor device or substrate 510. The solder cup 520 may be formedto be electrically connected to an interconnect 513 within the substrate510 as would be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art havingthe benefit of this disclosure. In a first step, a mask 514 is appliedto the surface of the substrate 510 as shown in FIG. 6A. The mask 514 isconfigured in a desired shape of the solder cup 520. The mask 514 may bephoto resist. A layer 524 is applied to the mask 514 and the top surfaceof the substrate 510 as shown in FIG. 6B. The layer 524 forms a barrierto the solder cup, as discussed herein.

Various metals may then be used to fill an opening, recess, or interior526 within the barrier layer 524 as shown in FIG. 6C. The solder cup maybe comprised of copper 521, nickel 522, and solder 523. Alternatively,different elements may be used in conjunction with solder 523 or thesolder cup may be filled solely with solder 523. The top layer of thebarrier layer 524 and solder 523 may be removed as shown in FIG. 6D.Afterwards, the resist 514 may be stripped off the top surface of thesubstrate 510 to leave the solder cup 520 having an exterior barrier 524with the interior comprising solder that may be used to make aninterconnection with a UBM on an adjacent substrate.

FIGS. 7A-7E are schematic cross-section views that illustrate anembodiment of forming a UBM 650 (best shown in FIG. 7E) on asemiconductor device or substrate 640. The UBM 650 may be formed to beelectrically connected to a via 643 within the substrate 640 as would beappreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit ofthis disclosure. In a first step, a seed barrier 644 may be formed onthe top or first surface of the substrate 640 as shown in FIG. 7A. Theseed barrier 644 may be comprised of various materials as would beappreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit ofthis disclosure. In an embodiment, the seed barrier 644 may not includeany copper. A resist layer 645 is then applied to the top of the seedbarrier 644 as shown in FIG. 7B. The resist layer 645 is formed on theoutside or perimeter of the substrate 640 leaving an opening, recess, orinterior 646 for the formation of a UBM 650, as discussed herein. Theresist layer 645 may include tapered or angled sidewalls, which mayincrease the wetting force between a solder cup and a UBM, as discussedherein.

A UBM 650 is then formed within recess 646 of the resist layer 645 asshown in FIG. 7C. The UBM 650 may be comprised of various materials thatmay form an interconnect with a solder cup as would be appreciated byone of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of this disclosure.In an embodiment, the UBM 650 may be comprised of nickel. In anembodiment, the UBM 650 may not include copper. The resist layer 645 maybe stripped off the top surface of the substrate 540 as shown in FIG. 7Dand the seed layer 644 may be stripped off the top surface of thesubstrate 540 as shown in FIG. 7E to leave the UBM 650 that may be usedto make an interconnection with a solder cup on an adjacent substrate.

FIG. 8 is a flow chart for one embodiment of a method 700 of making asemiconductor device assembly. The method 700 includes providing a firstsemiconductor device that has a first surface and a second surfaceopposite the first surface, at step 710. The method comprises providinga second semiconductor device that has a first surface and a secondsurface opposite the first surface with at least one solder cupextending from the second surface, at step 720. The solder cup includesa barrier with a first end that is proximal to and a second end distalfrom the second surface of the second semiconductor device. The barrieris open at the distal end and contains solder within the barrier. Atstep 730, the method 700 includes positioning the second semiconductordevice adjacent to the first semiconductor device with the first surfaceof the semiconductor device having at least one UBM. The method 700includes forming an interconnect between the solder cup and the UBM, atstep 740. Forming the interconnect may include a TCB step in which atleast a portion of the barrier is used to set the bond line between thefirst semiconductor device and the second semiconductor device.Optionally, the method 700 may include step 750 of removing materialfrom the first surface of the first semiconductor device to transform avia through the first semiconductor device into a UBM.

FIG. 9 is a schematic cross-section view of an embodiment of asemiconductor device 800 having a solder cup 820 and a UBM 850. Thesemiconductor device 800 includes a substrate 840 having a first or topsurface 841, a second or bottom surface 842, and a via 843 that extendsfrom the top surface 841 to the bottom surface 842. Active devices 860may be positioned on the top surface 841 of the substrate 840 and may beelectrically connected to both the solder cup 820 and the UBM 850.Various active device 860 may be included in the semiconductor device800 as would be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art havingthe benefit of this disclose. For example, the active devices 860 maybe, but are not limited to, a diode, transistor, an integrated circuit,or the like. The number, size, configuration, and/or location of theactive devices 860 are shown for illustrative purposes only and may bevaried depending on the application.

A number of layers, referred to collectively as layers 810, may bedeposited on the top surface 841 of the substrate 840. Although shown asa single layer for clarity in FIG. 9, the layers 810 may be formed bydepositing multiple layers of material until a desired thickness, shape,and/or configuration is achieved as would be appreciated by one ofordinary skill in the art having the benefit of this disclosure. Thelayers 810 may be passivation layers, which may cover the active devices860. A solder cup 820 is formed on top of the layers 810 that are on thetop surface 841 of the substrate 840. The solder cup 820 may becomprised of solder 823, nickel 822, and copper 821 within an exterior,or external, barrier 824, as discussed herein. The barrier 824 having aproximal end towards the substrate 410 and a distal end 825 that isopen. The distal end 825 of the barrier 824 may act as a standoff whenthe semiconductor device 810 is positioned adjacent anothersemiconductor device for form a semiconductor device assembly, asdiscussed herein. A UBM 850 is formed on the bottom surface 842 of thesubstrate 840, which may include a passivation layer 844. Metal layersand/or electrical routing, such as traces, or the like, may be embeddedwithin the layers 810 to electrically connect the solder cup 820 and theUBM 850 as would be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the arthaving the benefit of this disclosure.

The semiconductor device 800 includes a solder cup 820 on one side and aUBM 850 on the other side. An interconnect may be formed between thesolder cup 820 on the top of the semiconductor device 800 and a UBM onan adjacent semiconductor device. Likewise, an interconnect may beformed between the UBM 850 on the bottom of the semiconductor device anda solder cup on an adjacent semiconductor device. A plurality ofsemiconductor devices 800 may be joined together to form a semiconductordevice assembly, similar to the semiconductor device assembly shown inFIG. 5, as would be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the arthaving the benefit of this disclosure.

Although this disclosure has been described in terms of certainembodiments, other embodiments that are apparent to those of ordinaryskill in the art, including embodiments that do not provide all of thefeatures and advantages set forth herein, are also within the scope ofthis disclosure. The disclosure may encompass other embodiments notexpressly shown or described herein. Accordingly, the scope of thepresent disclosure is defined only by reference to the appended claimsand equivalents thereof.

1. (canceled)
 2. The assembly of claim 8, wherein the solder cup and UBMform an interconnect that electrically connects the first substrate andthe second substrate.
 3. The assembly of claim 2, wherein the firstsubstrate further comprises a first semiconductor device and the secondsubstrate further comprises a second semiconductor device.
 4. Theassembly of claim 3, wherein the second end of the barrier engages thefirst surface of the first semiconductor device and supports the secondsemiconductor device.
 5. (canceled)
 6. The assembly of claim 8, whereinthe second end of the barrier surrounds the UBM.
 7. (canceled)
 8. Asemiconductor device assembly comprising: a first substrate having afirst surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, the firstsurface having at least one under bump metal (UBM) disposed thereon; asecond substrate having a first surface and a second surface oppositethe first surface, the second substrate disposed over the firstsubstrate, the second substrate having at least one solder cup on thesecond surface, the at least one solder cup comprising a barrier havinga first end proximal to the second surface of the second substrate and asecond end distal to the second surface of the second substrate, thebarrier being open at the second end, the at least one solder cupcomprising solder positioned within an interior of the barrier, theopening at the second end of the barrier having a first perimeter andthe UBM having a second perimeter, the first perimeter being larger thanthe second perimeter; wherein the solder cup and UBM are connectedtogether to form a support between the first substrate and the secondsubstrate; and wherein the UBM is encased by the solder positionedwithin the interior of the barrier.
 9. The assembly of claim 8, whereinthe barrier is configured to prevent the solder from bridging with anadjacent feature on the first surface of the first substrate.
 10. Theassembly of claim 8, wherein the barrier is tapered having a smallerdiameter at the first end than a diameter at the second end.
 11. Theassembly of claim 8, wherein the barrier has a smaller perimeter at thefirst end than a perimeter at the second end.
 12. The assembly of claim8, the UBM having a first end proximal to the first side of the firstsubstrate, a second end distal to the first side of the first substrate,and sidewalls extending from the first end to the second end.
 13. Theassembly of claim 12, wherein the sidewalls of the UBM are taperedhaving a smaller diameter at the first end than a diameter at the secondend.
 14. The assembly of claim 12, wherein the UBM has a smallerperimeter at the first end than a perimeter at the second end.
 15. Theassembly of claim 8, wherein the barrier comprises at least one oftantalum, tungsten, titanium nitride, or combinations thereof.
 16. Theassembly of claim 8, wherein the UBM comprises nickel or gold.
 17. Theassembly of claim 16, wherein the UBM does not comprise copper. 18-26.(canceled)
 27. A semiconductor device comprising: a substrate having afirst surface and a second surface opposite the first surface; at leastone under bump metal (UBM) extending from the second surface of thesubstrate; at least one solder cup connected to the first surface of thesubstrate, the at least one solder cup having an external barrier withsidewalls that form an interior, the sidewalls of the external barrierhaving a proximal end and a distal end positioned away from the firstsurface, the sidewalls of the external barrier being open at the distalend; and metal positioned entirely within the interior formed by thesidewalls of the external barrier, wherein the external barriercomprises at least one of tantalum, tungsten, titanium nitride, orcombinations thereof.
 28. The semiconductor device of claim 27, whereinthe at least one solder cup is electrically connected to the at leastone UBM.
 29. The semiconductor device of claim 28, further comprising aplurality of layers positioned between the first surface of thesubstrate and the solder cup.
 30. The semiconductor device of claim 29,wherein the at least one solder cup is electrically connected to the atleast one UBM by a via in the substrate and electrical interconnectswithin the plurality of layers positioned between the first surface ofthe substrate and the solder cup.
 31. (canceled)
 32. The semiconductordevice of claim 27, wherein the metal comprises solder.
 33. Thesemiconductor device of claim 32, wherein the metal further comprisesnickel and copper.
 34. The semiconductor device of claim 33, wherein thenickel extends between the sidewalls of the external barrier and thenickel separates the solder from the copper.
 35. The semiconductordevice of claim 34, wherein the solder is positioned adjacent to thedistal end of the sidewalls of the external barrier.
 36. Thesemiconductor device of claim 35, wherein the copper is positionedadjacent to the proximal end of the sidewalls of the external barrier.